Ah yes, Eddie Murphy. He used to be funny, made better movies, etc whatever. Actually that is correct: although I don't know if he ever made a truly great movie. Still Beverly Hills Cop (1984) coasts by on his charm and his wit, as the plot (fuck plot) is more paper thin than those napkins you get when you order fast food. The 80s was really the era for breezy, entertaining action comedies, and this movie fits in really nicely. Also Beverly Hills Cop goes out of its way to have one of those soundtracks with 80s music that gets played on so called easy listening/classic rock stations these days, so of course its heavily dated. That doesn't matter because Murphy is enough, along with Judge Reinhold (naturally) and other people who I'm too lazy to look up, although I noticed the Ivan Drago coach from Rocky IV and the main bad guy from a couple of movies (most famously Total Recall) in this as well. Hurray for them being horribly typecast.

There could be more to this write up, but a film/movie/whatever the hell you want to call it doesn't really command that type of space. Which is why I salute movie reviewers for being able to ramble on about these types of movies. Actually I don't because I don't read too many reviews these days, especially my own. I think we are done here, especially since I'm out of beer. I give this film a rock solid random number out of another random number.

That last movie wasn't really all that amazing. Yet I think this one is.

Lost In Translation (2003, Sofia Coppola)

That opening shot of Scarlet's ass in a movie made by a female director is supposed to tell us something, right? Well it told me that she has a great ass. Her and Bill Murray end up becoming friends and wandering around Tokyo (mostly at night) and this is the basis of the movie. At the beginning I thought "Wait, this is the movie?" and I wasn't impressed. However by the finale I had gotten into the spirit of things, and I was even moved by the tender relationship at the heart of Lost in Translation, one that actually reminded me of the equally delicate meeting of the hearts in the slightly better masterwork In The Mood For Love, made three years prior. Oh and up until now I actually thought that the aptly named Tokyo Drifter was the essential "Movie covering Tokyo" but that has changed completely. Murray by the way should be better known for his Buster Keaton style expressions rather than his witty one-liners-however he is amazing at both, and does not get his proper due as an actor the way he should.

Oh and the discussion on whether or not this or Return of the King should have won Best Picture is really silly. You are comparing two movies that I think are equally great that happen to both be insanely different on every level. Both grabbed me emotionally and didn't let go. However, I will say that Lost In Translation gets the edge soundtrack wise for "Alone in Kyoto" by Air. That piece was wonderfully used in a scene that properly represents being an alienated outsider bumbling around in a foreign land. Maybe someday I'll make it to Japan, but I doubt it because I'm too broke and I'll never learn Japanese. Oh well.

PS: The whisper scene broke my heart. Fuck. This despite Community hilariously making fun of it in Season 3. Billy Murray is a national treasure, and should be treated as such. If I met him I would just inform him that his performance in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou was beyond amazing. Then I would walk away.

Brutality is this film's middle name, or first name anyways. The entire movie works as visual poetry, especially since Mads Mikkelsen never says an entire word during the entire movie. That's remarkable to me yet I imagine its unsurprising to everyone else. I like that this and Drive (the only two movies I've seen from Nicolas Winding Refn) both have similar things in common: the quality use of visuals and the actual landscapes of both movies, the extreme violence that usually comes out of nowhere, and mostly silent anti-heroes with badass jackets. There's even Mikkelsen's One Eye taking a kid under his wing and protecting him, to the point of murderous actions that are swift and gory. This is how it was in the old days, the uncivilized age full of heathens and murders bearing crosses.

The visions aspect was relatively creepy at times and gives the film a relatively stark horror element, as it should: after all one of the chapters is called "Hell," and the characters even start to believe that One Eyed has taken them into the depths of Hades. The thing about Refn's movies (so far based on what I've seen) is that you have to embrace his style of film making. Otherwise to his detractors I imagine his movies ring hollow and empty, substituting style for subsistence. They may have a point, but I'm not complaining: his style is engrossing to me, and I'm now interested in seeing his other movies. Even Bronson, which I've heard mixed things about.

Nazis. Bunch of assholes. Anyways Night Train to Munich is a James Bond movie before James Bond was even written. Carol Reed made better films later (primarily the amazing The Third Man from 1949) yet this one is entertaining and has its fair share of moments. Young Rex Harrison looks weird, but that's maybe because I'm used to the older version of him from the 1960s-the one was stern and more of a professor than a man of action, foiling Nazi plans and keeping a stiff British upper lip. Plus there's some good humor in this one, particularly since the pair of English train travelers from The Lady Vanishes pop up in this one as well. Honestly you would be better off viewing that one instead of Munich, although both are good movies and worthy of your time, I suppose.

Basically Nazis really suck, and hurray for the British. There's even a final sequence that is rather breathtaking, or at least exciting. If it wasn't for the last two entries I would have to change this thread's name to "I Just Watched This Movie and Its Fucking Good." How boring. Maybe I'll go out of my way to view some really shitty movies again, however I like this current pace of being more selective with my time. Sooner or later I'll also watch a movie that's not on Netflix Instant Viewing, although that's my primary way of seeing movies these days.

I remember enjoying Night Train to Munich when I watched it a couple years back. I remember very little about the story but I do remember enjoying the introduction of Rex Harrison in the film and the final set piece in the mountains. That's about all I remember of it. I agree it's not as good as The Lady Vanishes.

I Watch Films, But...In a word, I think that, far from favoring directors’ formal inventiveness, widescreen, instead, stifles it. It is, I’m more and more persuaded, if not the only, at least the main culprit for the expressive poverty of the image today. - Eric RohmerVimeo / / / Flickr

pwiedenheft wrote:I remember enjoying Night Train to Munich when I watched it a couple years back. I remember very little about the story but I do remember enjoying the introduction of Rex Harrison in the film and the final set piece in the mountains. That's about all I remember of it. I agree it's not as good as The Lady Vanishes.

The story really isn't that important, heh. I think its a testament to Hitchcock's ability that he took a seemingly ordinary train movie and made it special.

And yes Fist Rex Harrison is pretty awesome, based on what little I've seen of his work.

Violent Cop (1989, Takeshi Kitano)

This film has been compared to other cop movies and therefore makes me reflect on why I've viewed so many over the past 5 years: they offer a fictionalized insight into why anyone would ever want to be a police office. The pay is often lousy, you have to deal with assholes and scumbags, and there are people trying to kill you. I guess I'm not heroic enough to risk my life to save people I don't even know, however Violent Cop doesn't concern itself with any of that. Instead its Takeshi "Beat" Kitano playing a character that makes Dirty Harry look by the book. This guy brutalizes suspects, doesn't care about the rules, and operates with limits. All of this leads to him going completely out of control (you even have a scene where he runs someone over, which ends up being strangely comical yet a reflection of his willingness to violate the law), a man who goes to the edge and beyond. Really the actual case he's investigating doesn't even matter, a simple MacGuffin to move the plot along.

Despite some of the movie being quite messy, I still liked Kitano's compositions and how he frames his shots. There is a stark visual style at work, and this being his first movie directing he clearly showed skill and a natural ability to get what he wanted out of his actors. "Everybody's crazy" is a line that perhaps best sums up how quickly events spiral out of control, all because of one cop and his inability to handle following clearly defined rules. Set to a jazzy score that is a new favorite of mine, one that underlines the film noir style final act that left me rather surprised. Corruption takes other forms, I suppose.

Yeah I probably should. See this is another reason why you don't start film threads while drunk. I can however go back and just insert large bolded titles into every post. I just didn't think this thread would actually get replies, or anything....

i'm hesitant to read abt films i dont know in case it spoils something for me if it's a movie i wanna see, and if i dont see the title i cant research if it's unseen or read it if i've seen it and wonder what your thoughts are

title-less review threads are about as helpful to me as everyone's review/rate/reaction-less lists of titles in their sigs

wigwam wrote:i like the colors! thx for reminding me to see Valhalla Rising, i'll be back afterward...

Why thanks, good sir, and yes I believe it was Das or someone else on this site who made me realize I needed to see Valhalla Rising. I'm really glad that I did. Also I much prefer my rating scale in this thread to my Criticker 100 scale, although I use that one just for best of lists and genre related threads.

I decided to leave up the original short review of Lost in Translation. However here's the way too damn long write up I penned tonight while ducking sleep:

Look I've never been to Japan, and I was in love once but she never returned it back. In reflection going to a foreign country sounds better than getting your heart sliced in half. However I still can relate to Lost in Translation partly due to the two main characters: Bob and Charlotte, two wandering souls in Tokyo for different reasons; each have spouses which keeps them from having anything other than a purely emotional relationship. From my limited experience those are rather satisfying, although I'm guessing that sex despite including complications is fun, too. Regardless Charlotte has that "What the hell am I doing?" post-college problem that most people her age experience (myself included), and Bob suffers from a rather obvious mid life crisis. I've never had a mid life crisis although there are three crisis situations people go through in life: the first being falling in love with someone from the opposite sex and going through the emotions involved, the second one consisting of attempting to find purpose in life, and the last one actually being a mid-life crisis.

I've experienced the first two, and I'm not looking forward to the last one even though if I'm lucky I'll be Bill Murray stuck in Japan with Scarlett Johannsson in a foreign city where I drink at the bar every night. Worst things could happen to people, and its at the bar, dressed in a ridiculous tux he was forced to wear for a commercial shoot, sits Bob Harris, drowning his problems in alcohol (something I know all too well-the booze, I mean). A young woman he noticed in the elevator during his first day in Tokyo sends him over a drink, and he toasts her. Thus begins a wonderful yet fragile relationship between one person beginning her life and the other one seeing his winding down. Really the movie does consist of two people wandering around Tokyo (and in Charlotte's case, Kyoto) which after the 30 minute mark I was fine with. The film itself slowly grows on you, particularly after the pair strike up their platonic friendship and wander out into the sky lit Tokyo nightlife.

Several of the movie's set pieces are rather important, and I've already mentioned the first one. Far more crucial is the party scenes, where Bob and Charlotte hang out, drink, get high and even singing karaoke. Clearly you have not witnessed film magic until you watch Bill Murray crooning in monotone, yet it leads to a moment between the pair that showcases properly Murray's ability to show emotion through his facial movements despite being known primarily for his physical comedy and ability to spit out witty one liners. A cigarette is shared, and his shoulder is used as a pillow, a reminder that neither of them have gotten any sleep during their stay, perhaps due to being restless about their station in life.

Naturally Bob's drinking has consequences, and he almost throws away a beautiful friendship with Charlotte due to his inability to reign in his more destructive impulses. This after a casual second night spent together consisting of drinking and eating Japanese food while watching some random movie on TV in Bob's hotel room, ending with Charlotte picking Bob's mind on marriage and kids, topics she knows very little about. I was reminded largely of In The Mood For Love, another film about two people involved in relationships brought together by interesting circumstances, and how they were tempted to achieve more than simply the pleasure of each others company: talking, sharing food, being merely friends instead of more.

Much has been made about what Bob says to Charlotte near the end, yet I really am indifferent in regards to the mystery, focusing instead on the pure tenderness and raw bittersweet emotions coming from two people who for a short time grew close to one another. Even though I feel the movie took a bit too long to achieve liftoff (a few early scenes could have been cut) this is still an excellent movie, a compelling take on love and people. One thing most of us have learned is that people are the most important thing in life, and the only aspect we truly remember. Well that and the shot of Charlotte's rear end at the beginning. I won't forget that.

You could write a lengthy essay solely on this movie's sexual politics alone. I was less interested in those and more involved in the tender relationship that slowly blossoms between Holden and Amy, two people with something in common yet still too different. The fact that Banky, Holden's asshole friend and fellow comic book creator hates her just makes things worse, not better. While I've never been in a relationship I've observed plenty, and I know by now certain things you really should avoid doing, things that of course occur during the course of this film. I like how Kevin Smith uses his camera to get the viewer closer, more engaged in what is happening onscreen. By the middle of the film I had the feeling of knowing these people for a long time, despite them being fictional characters, and that's the mark of a quality dialogue driven film, which Chasing Amy is. Of course Kevin Smith also could not resist numerous comic book and movie references, primarily Star Wars and Jaws in two separate scenes that are both hilarious for different reasons (one features a comic book writer going insane on purpose, the other probably the best Jaws homage I've ever seen in a movie). We sense that perhaps what Amy and Holden have might not work, however the film makes you hoped to be proven wrong. Optimism in this case is more natural than the average cynicism of someone who knows all too well that people break up for really dumb reasons.

Some of the film had standard romantic cliches (there's even a montage! Hurray!) however Smith manages to not let those negatively impact the strong emotional center. I was left with the thought that my 16 old self would fail to properly appreciate this movie, that he would not understand its romantic subtitle undertones or the fact that Silent Bob's monologue about a former love rings painfully true. And yes this is the second relationship driven movie I've viewed in two movies, and just in time for Valentine's Day, too. What a stupid holiday, reflecting everything wrong with how love and romance is treated in this country. Candy and flowers are fleeting, meeting someone who is damn near perfect is something you should cherish, I guess. Also I defend this movie as being worthy of being a Criterion, simply because it is one of those quintessential 90s movies you view even if you hate Kevin Smith's work (although the cover for it is just the worst). I guess I like Smith well enough to see more of his movies, and I've viewed four or five already.

Chasing Amy is a weird one for me. I was one of those kids that fell madly in love with Smith when I was 12ish. I was starting to get into more independent cinema around then and Clerk was an early discovery. I fell in love with his first four films and thought they were all fantastic. Over time my relationship with him has soured a bit. There were various reasons for this. One of them was just getting older and my taste changing a bit. Along with that came seeing more movies and growing past Smith's particular brand of humor. The other was his personality. I used to think his saving grace in my life would be "I don't like his movies as much anymore, but I at least enjoy him as a personality." But then Cop Out happened, then a few press incidents happened (not even all of them dramatic, some just him talking and making constant blow job and gay jokes and me thinking "Wow, that really is all he has"), and the way he handled criticism of Red State was kind of the final straw for me.

I haven't watched his earlier films in a long time. I think I'd prefer to keep them as a nice memory and mild touchstone in my life than go back and revisit them. Even Chasing Amy, easily one of his best, feels extremely simplistic and juvenile when I think about it now. Oh well. It's still a nice memory of a more innocent time in my life.

topherH wrote:Haven't seen Night Train to Munich, but I like the others so far. A little love for Kevin Smith, I like it.

You should give Night Train To Munich a shot. Just keep in mind that The Lady Vanishes (Hitchcock version-there was a remake) is the better of the two. And I like Kevin Smith, however I have zero interest in watching Jersey Girl. I've liked and seen so far Clerks 1 and 2, Cop Out, Chasing Amy, and Mallrats (which I just watched tonight). I've liked all of them, however I only think highly of Mallrats and Chasing Amy, although only Chasing Amy is the actual great movie of the bunch. Cop Out and Clerks 2 are decent, Clerks is fairly good.

Alyssa not Amy, MM.

D'Oh! My mistake.

Chasing Amy is a weird one for me. I was one of those kids that fell madly in love with Smith when I was 12ish. I was starting to get into more independent cinema around then and Clerk was an early discovery. I fell in love with his first four films and thought they were all fantastic. Over time my relationship with him has soured a bit. There were various reasons for this. One of them was just getting older and my taste changing a bit. Along with that came seeing more movies and growing past Smith's particular brand of humor. The other was his personality. I used to think his saving grace in my life would be "I don't like his movies as much anymore, but I at least enjoy him as a personality." But then Cop Out happened, then a few press incidents happened (not even all of them dramatic, some just him talking and making constant blow job and gay jokes and me thinking "Wow, that really is all he has"), and the way he handled criticism of Red State was kind of the final straw for me.

As much as I like Kevin Smith, I do think he takes film criticism way too damn seriously and too personal. Look not everyone is going to enjoy or like what you make. That doesn't matter as long as you are satisfied with your own work and how you are making it. The same thing applies to writing film reviews and film criticism, btw. I think he should have written the screenplay for Cop Out, because it could have been way funnier than it actually was. I will view Red State at some point.

I haven't watched his earlier films in a long time. I think I'd prefer to keep them as a nice memory and mild touchstone in my life than go back and revisit them. Even Chasing Amy, easily one of his best, feels extremely simplistic and juvenile when I think about it now. Oh well. It's still a nice memory of a more innocent time in my life.

I only started watching his movies when I was a freshmen in college, I think. So I guess maybe I find simplistic and juvenile humor, I guess. My weakness for stupid comedies is actually rather glaring, but I really did love Chasing Amy.

Is this movie full of dumb jokes and really stupid humor? Yes. It also showcases Kevin Smith's obsessions with comic books, Jaws, Star Wars, Batman, and nerd culture, in addition to his continuing musings on love and romance-be they right or wrong. I thought this movie was pretty funny overall, not to mention quite enjoyable. I wonder if I will bother to watch it when I'm 50, though, if I even live that long, because its aimed at a younger crowd. The tale of young Brodie and TS Quint as they scheme to get their girlfriends back is distinctly male perspective only, which differs from Chasing Amy since that movie actually bothered to include a woman as a principle character. Here all of the main characters are male, and therefore you only get one side, which does hinder the film a bit. I understand why people hate Kevin Smith's movies, and they have a right to their opinion, but so far I like the ones I have viewed. Mallrats has a 90s charm to it that dates it a lot, particularly due to the fact that malls have changed a lot since then (and are not as popular as they used to be, at least I think so-but maybe the word I'm looking for is "Not as cool. I still have wandered around plenty in my time, so I guess that's entirely true.)

Oh and Jay and Silent Bob are great, however I do wish to revisit Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back since I didn't find it that funny-maybe I needed to view the other movies that featured them first, although I had seen Clerks before hand. They are really the best part of this film, and their antics elevate some off the film's lesser aspects. I also think that Jason Lee played the whole "Lovable Asshole" bit way better than Adam Sandler ever did, even though Sandler has more of a career than Lee does these days. Michael Rooker displays an entirely surprising comedic side here that I didn't know he had, just proving that he's been great in about everything he's ever been in, The Walking Dead included.

Yeah, didn't much care for Mallrats. Jay and Silent Bob supplied what little humor is in the film. The part where they are scheming Jay's stunt like Wile E. Coyote in a Looney Tunes skit is lol funny, however.

No fucking way. Jason's performance, while not great, is much more natural and relaxed in Dazed. Jeremy is a stiff, robotic, humorless, emotionless mess in Mallrats. Jason Lee carries him through that whole film.

snapper wrote:I love this thread, it's like an oasis of populism in the existential sea of the Corrie

Thanks, I guess? I should have created this thread a long time ago, seeing as I've abandoned both social threads and I mostly come here to talk sports.

wigwam wrote:Jeremy London in Mallrats >>>>> Jason London in Dazed

or vice versa, whoever is whoever

Nah. Dazed London is better, and Dazed is also the superior movie.

Trip wrote:its fucking awesome what

Duh.

dreiser wrote:Yeah, didn't much care for Mallrats. Jay and Silent Bob supplied what little humor is in the film. The part where they are scheming Jay's stunt like Wile E. Coyote in a Looney Tunes skit is lol funny, however.